by Veena Krishnan

Created on: November 24, 2009   Last Updated: November 27, 2009

Are we smarter than our ancestors?

A ten-year-old child today knows how to access the computer and get information about any subject. Most of them are taught to use various computer programmes and they become adept at applying this skill to other computer related activities. The same child will also be capable of browsing the television channels and connecting up the DVD player. Many of them may have handled a video camera, digital camera and navigating their way about a mobile phone. They are all familiar with the electrical gadgets around the house and with the technical terms associated with them.

A ten-year-old child living in 1823 would have had to occupy him or herself with wooden toys. If they were curious to know about something they would have had to rely on their parents or some other adult's knowledge to tell them. They would have had access to libraries only much later as adults. Handling cameras and other electrical gadgets was out of the question since these weren't around or not so easily available to everyone.

Is it any wonder that we tend to think we are smarter than our ancestors? But what kind of smartness are we talking about. Doesn't the present day child impress us because of the technological advances around us? An eighty year old person observes a ten year old handling a computer with confidence and is impressed because he/she is comparing the child with his/her own capabilities at that age. But is the eighty-year-olds lack of capability because of a lack of smartness? Isn't it because our ancestors lacked these devices to impress us by?

Human beings were always smart. Because prehistoric man was smart he was able to survive living in the jungles along with the wild animals. It was his smartness that helped him shape stones into spear heads and use it to protect himself and his species. They discovered the existence of metals and how to put them to use which we now take for granted. Some of the discoveries by our ancestors have been so revolutionary that if it hadn't happened life for us would have been very different. One such discovery is that of silicon. This substance is part of almost everything especially the microchip which is the most important part in a computer. The computer which has revolutionised the way we live is a product of various discoveries by our ancestors. The properties of numbers discovered by our mathematical ancestors led to computer programming which has made computers accessible to even the common man.

We definitely look smart going through live so ably supported by the various mechanical devices but it wouldn't have been so if not for the contributions of our ancestors and let us never forget that.

Learn more about this author, Veena Krishnan.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.